Hot off the press! The visa provides parents with a new pathway to temporarily reunite with their children and grandchildren in Australia, while ensuring that taxpayers are not required to cover additional costs. The visa responds to community concerns about the limited number of Parent places in the migration program and associated lengthy waiting periods.

To be eligible for the visa, a parent must be the biological, adoptive, or step-parent of the sponsor, who must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Visa cost

The visa application charge is:

$5,000 for a visa of up to three years’ duration; or

$10,000 for a visa of up to five years’ duration.

The visa application charge is payable in two instalments, with one payment at time of application and the remainder paid prior to visa grant.

The visa application charge represents a contribution to the cost of the services parents will use in Australia for extended periods. Most visa holders will have never paid tax in Australia but will benefit from using existing infrastructure.

The charges also reflect that there are benefits for both parents and their Australian families. The visa holder can stay in Australia for up to five years continuously (up to a cumulative maximum of 10 years), thereby saving on the cost of airfares that would be incurred over this period if they were required to depart and re-enter Australia on a regular basis.